Reduction of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 on Small-Scale Cow/Calf Operations Using Best Management Practices

Non-Technical Summary:<br/>
The project is designed to enhance small-scale cattle farm competitiveness by reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle prior to shipment to feedlots. Cattle are considered primary reservoirs of E. coli O157:H7, causing post-harvest cross-contamination of beef products. On-farm practices affect pathogen loads on cattle entering slaughter facilities. However, limited information is available on practices employed by small-scale cow/calf operations. Another limitation is effective implementation of control strategies and knowledge transfer to cattle industry. In response to this need, the project will: (1) assess production practices and determine educational gaps of small-scale cow/calf producers through survey-based research; (2) determine the factors affecting E. coli O157:H7 prevalence on cow/calf operations; (3) establish a training program on Best Management Practices (BMPs) and pre-harvest food-safety for cow/calf producers across Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas; and (4) validate the effectiveness of on-farm BMPs in reducing E. coli O157:H7 in the cow/calf operation environments. Survey responses and prevalence study results will drive BMP guidelines and educational workshops, addressing the problem. Effectiveness of BMPs to control E. coli O157:H7 will be examined by training cow/calf producers and by following changes in pathogen loads on their farms after implementation of BMPs.
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Approach:<br/>
Knowledge needs of cow/calf operators will be determined using survey analysis within a social science needs assessment model. We will conduct a needs assessment to determine knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes of the target audience: the cow/calf producers. This will provide information pertinent for creating effective educational materials in format consistent with the scope of this project. Survey instrumentation will be developed with the expertise of the researchers involved in this project as well as outside technical experts who will evaluate the content validity of the construct area items and make recommendations for improvement. The instrument will be designed to measure participant responses in construct areas related to pre-harvest food safety issues. The survey instrument will be created in two ways: (1) an electronic format and (2) in the form of questionnaires handed out to cow/calf producers. Data Analysis will be conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS. Grand means across all constructs for knowledge, behaviors and importance will be calculated for creation of the two needs assessment matrices. Mean for each construct area, categorized as 1) critical need, 2) low-level need, 3) low-level, successful program, or 4) successful program, will be calculated for inclusion on the matrix and prioritized in the same order. Based on the survey results from Objective 1, cow/calf operations located in OK, TX and LA will be selected for sample collection to determine E. coli O157:H7 populations on the farm. Farm samples will include fecal (n=15), water (n=5), sediments (n=5), and equipment swabs (n=2). Detection and isolation of E. coli O157:H7 will be done using immunomagnetic separation. Molecular identification will be done using multiplex PCR. Results will be used to determine on-farm practices that may contribute to pathogen loads in the cattle and on the farm. Results from Objectives 1 and 2 will be used to determine educational gaps and to establish guidelines for BMPs that need to be implemented on these farms. These guidelines will include basic principles of cattle management such as provision of clean feed and water, sanitary handling of water and waste, proper drainage and maintenance of the environment, and freedom from vermin and pests, along with decontamination strategies, disinfection programs, and possible use of probiotic therapies. Following the preparation of guidelines, several training workshops will be held for small-scale cattle producers across the three states. BMPs will be validated through follow-up surveys and microbial sampling of selected farms for pathogen loads after implementation of BMPs. Microbial sampling will be conducted on the farms as previously described in Objective 2. The results at the end of the study will be used to determine whether the training workshop helped the cattle farmers in effective implementation of the BMPs for controlling E. coli O157:H7 in cattle and on the farm environment.